What was the background?
Organisation: City of Greater Dandenong – Youth and Family Services
Focus: Strengthening youth voice and evidence based planning
The City of Greater Dandenong is home to a diverse population of young people with a wide range of experiences, needs and aspirations. To ensure local strategies reflect young peoples’ lived realities, Council actively seeks opportunities to hear directly from young people and incorporate their perspectives into planning and decisionmaking.
Participation in the Mission Australia Youth Survey provided Greater Dandenong with access to nationally robust data, alongside the opportunity to receive a local area report capturing the views of young people in the municipality.
What was the issue?
Greater Dandenong’s Youth and Family Services team set a goal to engage at least 100 local young people in the 2025 Mission Australia Youth Survey. Achieving this threshold was essential to receiving a tailored local report that could inform development of Council’s five-year Children, Youth and Family Strategy.
A key challenge was ensuring participation from a broad and diverse group of young people, not only those already connected to Council programs. This required creative, proactive engagement approaches and strong collaboration with local partners.
What approach was taken?
Council implemented a multipronged engagement strategy to promote the Youth Survey across the municipality:
- Local youth sector promotion: Survey information was shared widely with schools, youth services and community organisations. Youth Services staff also attended group activities, such as homework clubs and advisory groups, to talk directly with young people about the survey.
- Council networks: The survey was promoted through Council’s Youth Network meetings, engaging professionals across the local youth sector.
- Programs and events: Time was built into regular youth programs, school holiday activities and major events (such as sports tournaments and youth summits) to encourage and support survey completion.
- Outreach in community spaces: Staff attended local libraries after school, engaging young people in conversations and inviting them to complete the survey on the spot.
- Communications: The survey was promoted via Council newsletters and social media channels, reaching both young people and youthserving organisations.
Throughout the process, Council worked closely with Mission Australia’s Research & Insights team, who provided guidance and support to strengthen engagement efforts.
What were the results?
Greater Dandenong successfully exceeded the minimum response requirement and received a tailored Youth Survey local area report.
The report has become a valuable evidence base for Council, supporting:
- Development of the five year Children, Youth and Family Strategy
- A deeper understanding of young people’s priorities, concerns and wellbeing
- More informed internal planning and service design
- Stronger advocacy grounded in credible, youth reported data
The data has enabled Council to confidently align strategic priorities with what young people themselves say matters most.
What were the benefits of participating?
Participation in the Youth Survey delivered benefits beyond the report itself:
- Youth voice: Young people were given a meaningful opportunity to share their experiences and perspectives.
- Local insight: Council gained access to reliable, locally specific data that complemented broader state and national trends.
- Stronger engagement: The process strengthened relationships with schools, community organisations and young people across the municipality.
As one young person reflected, completing the survey made them feel that “someone was really listening” to what they had to say.
Key takeaways
Greater Dandenong’s experience demonstrates that participation in the Mission Australia Youth Survey is a powerful way for councils to listen to young people at scale, strengthen evidence based planning, and ensure youth strategies are grounded in the real experiences of local young people.